If you're drowning in debt, chances are you're desperate enough to try anything.
That includes so-called "Debt Relief" services.
These bogus businesses hit radio airwaves and late-night infomercials to pose as knights in shining armor for consumers reaching the end of their money rope.
Don't worry, they say, pledging to slay the Big Bad Wolf (i.e.: your creditors) and help you live Happily Ever After – for a fee.
Here's a wake up call: This is a probably a lie.
The Federal Trade Commission just revamped regulations surrounding debt relief services, making it more difficult for them to dupe unwitting consumers into forking over cash for services they have no intention of rendering.
But it's still all-too possible to get tricked, so here are some red flags to look for:
Upfront fees. By law, debt relief companies can't collect fees until you've gotten what you intend to pay for. If they try to feed you a line of bull about down payments or holding fees, don't stick around to hear the rest of their sales pitch.
Shady timelines. The firm has to tell you how long you'll have to wait to see results, according to the FTC. If they're playing coy, they're probably up to something fishy.
Unclear pay scale. They're required by law to tell you how much their services cost upfront.
Fairytales. If they're painting a rosy picture of all the magical benefits you'll glean from their service without telling you the potential negative side effects, they're in the wrong. The new FTC rule makes it illegal to tell you the pros without the cons.
Now see 11 tips to help your credit score skyrocket >
It’s no secret that Peter Thiel thinks that the next big bubble facing our economy is not inflating the housing or tech markets, but that of higher education. The former PayPal CEO and early backer of Facebook is well-known for his contrarian views and has more than once publicly criticized higher education for being an overhyped and bloated industry. The entrepreneur-turned-investor has been on a mission to find alternative (and better) ways to motivate, foster, and support young people who want to make a difference.
In May, Thiel, along with his Foundation, put their money where their mouth is, announcing the “20 Under 20 Thiel Fellowship”, a program that offers talented independent thinkers under the age of 20 $100,000 and two years free of school to pursue their entrepreneurial endeavors. The program launched with 24 Thiel Fellows, each of these wiz kids pursuing their own inspiring scientific and technical projects. (You can meet the class here.)
Originally, the Thiel Foundation planned to award only twenty fellowships, but James O’Neill, who heads the Thiel Foundation, said there were so many outstanding candidates among the 400 applications they received that they were compelled to add four more spots.
Six months into the program, and already the progress has been impressive. O’Neill tells us that more than ten of the Fellows have founded companies, and at least one has already launched a product on the market. The progress of the program has been so good, in fact, that the Thiel Foundation has decided to launch a second class in 2012. The program is now accepting applications, with a deadline of December 31st. Candidates must be under 20 years of age until that date.
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